


Blood in the Water

by PonyRunRun



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Itachi-centric, M/M, Rewrite, Uchiha Massacre, itachi is the villain, itachi is... unbalanced, like HEAVY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:14:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28936845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PonyRunRun/pseuds/PonyRunRun
Summary: The first time Fugaku showed wariness in his presence was this day. He was back and covered in a blood that was not his. He was standing in the hallway, starring at the wall like he could bore a whole in it, his eyes fixated and empty.« What are you doing Itachi ? »« Nothing. »He was planning.Or, Itachi was the villain all along.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Itachi/Uchiha Shisui
Kudos: 25





	Blood in the Water

For someone who wanted to be Hokage, Itachi had never been fond of politics. He'd never been fond of ninjas either. He'd never been fond of his mother's cooking.

He'd never been fond of his family alltogether.

Each passing day was a pain in the back of his head, a tumultuous cry behind his eyes. Itachi didn't remember when was the last time he'd smiled.

« Itachi, let's play ! » Sasuke called with hope from the hallway.

« Itachi is doing his report. » Fugaku cut deeply, his tone even as he was reading some scrolls. « That's why everyone prefers him to you, Sasuke. »

Itachi wasn't really fond of his father, and sometimes, he would dream of handsigns and fire.

*

Itachi was 8 and back from a mission. Everything was painfully easy, and life was taking a shade of irrelevance. The idea had not yet blossomed in his too young mind, but there was an embryo of darkness he couldn't quite hide.

The first time Fugaku showed wariness in his presence was this day. He was back and covered in a blood that was not his. He was standing in the hallway, starring at the wall like he could bore a whole in it, his eyes fixated and empty.

« What are you doing Itachi ? »

« Nothing. »

He was _planning_.

*

After this event, Fugaku made sure Itachi was taking part in the clan's debates and meetings. Giving him a tie to those people couldn't hurt, as the man was feeling his son slipping away. Where to ? He couldn't tell. At this time, his worse fear was that Itachi would prefer the village, and Itachi was happy enough to let him believe that.

Adult would never understand shit.

*

The meeting had been long and dire. The anger was rumbling and everyone was furious that Minato had been chosen in Fugaku's stead. Itachi listened in silence, eyeing meticulously the people around him. Sometimes he would count them and erase them from his memories. Yet, he knew all of their names

Back from it, Itachi crossed path with a mouse. It was a simple animal, not uncomon in the conpound near the forest, on the far end of the village, but Itachi stopped. He crouched and the mouse ran under a bush. Itachi stayed there for a moment, so long that he couldn't feel his legs anymore when he got up. An idea had made it's way in his mind, and it was plaguing it. He stood helplessly in the middle of the road as the burning fire was descending through the sky and he walked toward the Uchiha altar.

The temple was empty at this hour of the day and so he kneeled in front of the huge stone, lifting his head to look up at the ceiling. He joined his hands and started praying.

« Lord of the mice... send your scourge. Lord of the mice... Lord of the mice... Kill them all... »

Itachi knew better than to show up to a god without an offering. Before going back home, he deposited the dead mouse on the altar.

*

During the upcoming years, Itachi made a friend. It seemed weird to him, but he did get along with Shisui. The guy was kind and quiet, and he despised the clan's hatred as much as Itachi abhorred it. Sometimes, he wondered if his own hatred of the clan wasn't part of the clan's hatred heritage, and if he wasn't as bad.

Nonetheless, he kept on going to clan meeting, sitting at the back with Shisui to keep an eye on every angry one.

_Lord of the mice.... Lord of the mice... Make it end._

But the lord of the mice never answered. Neither did the lord of the sun or the moon, or the spirits of high fire and water. Itachi was twelve and he was tired of praying.

(No.)

(He was tired of _waiting_.)

*

He was on a date with Kakashi Hatake when the idea struck him, so hard and bad it made him throw up in the bushes. Kakashi was desperately in love with him, that he could see in his eyes.

« I can see in your eyes that... you've already lost... » Itachi panted above the greens.

« What ? » Kakashi asked after getting closer, holding his hair back not to get wet.

Itachi whipped his mouth clean and offered a small smile

« Nothing. I think I don't feel so well, let's go back okay ? »

The smile faded from his lips as all his inside screamed.

*

Itachi laid on his bed, hearring the pat pat of his family's foot on the wooden floor. There was an uncle and two aunts today in the kitchen and their hushered voices conveyed nothing good. Shisui had knocked at his window but he'd played dead. He was his best friend and his cousin, but really, everyone was his cousin it seemed.

This disgustingly inbreeded family was only going to rot in a dead end.

*

This night he got up and tiptoed to the Uchiha temple. The air was peaceful and eased his mind, but just looking at the empty altar brought him to clench his jaw.

« To all the gods inhabitating this earth, give me the strength to do what must be done. »

*

Every evening, Itachi went to the shrine and prayed for strength. Those were the only moment of peace he had. Within the conpound, the air was so thick he would cut it with a knife, and everyone was on edge. The village was hardening the laws against the Uchihas and the Uchiha were baring their teeth like feral dogs. Shisui was his second relief, his beacon of hope.

« My eyes can cast a genjutsu the likes of which would enthral the whole clan to pacify. »

And Itachi had believed. For a moment. Just in case, he would come back to the shrine and pray.

*

He was lying awake, listening to his baby brother's snores, and wondered if he could do it. He'd prayed for strength all this time, but again, he'd also prayed for a plague that had never come.

Would he... kill everyone ? Himself ? If it was what was needed to save the village, and erradicate this hatred ? Would he do it ?

Itachi didn't know for sure.

(No. He knew)

He was just blinding himself, believing he would do it for the village, but really he hated them too much to let a single one breathe.

*

Itachi was near the waterfall, on a tree, waiting for Shisui's arrival. He was trembling with adrenaline and terror, pain piercing at his heart. His hand was shaking holding the kunai but finally, his best friend arrived.

« Itachi ! » he whispered around and Itachi's heart broke a little bit.

But he couldn't backtrack now. He'd already written the suicide note that Shisui's parents would find on the morning.

Now he couldn't.

Couldn't.

He jumped from the tree and landed gracefully as ever on the grass. There were tired lines on Shisui's face, line that Itachi knew all to well on his own. He didn't say a word. He closed one eye and cast the strongest genjutsu he could. But Shisui was fast, and he avoided it, looking distraught.

« Itachi... what are you doing ? »

Itachi felt the word leaving his body more than pronouncing them. The voice was foreign.

« The clan is done for, and I can't let you jeopardize my plans. »

Shisui's heart seemed to fall in his stomach. He was waiting for Itachi to start laughing and call it a joke, but the moment passed and nothing happened. That's when despair grew in the older's eyes and tears started appearing.

« Itachi... we can still save the clan... with my eyes... what are you doing ?! »

But Itachi was cold like a stone the the Uchiha shrine and he threw himself at his cousin, kunai flying and shuriken throwing. He couldn't cut him too visibly thought, as it had to seem like a suicide.

All blood, no tears. No time for remorse.

They started fistfighting and Itachi rolled on the ground with his best friend above him. They could have loved each other, in another life.

« I love you Itachi, don't do that ! »

But Itachi had already rolled on himself, throwing Shisui on the ground, and he held a stone high above his head.

« I love you too. »

He fracassed Shisui's skull and threw him head first down the river.

*

His new eyes came at a certain price. No one had ever really loved him, but now they downright suspected him. He made sure of never showing them and keep it low, but the disease was knocking at his door every day.

« We'd like to see Itachi. »

« Itachi is grieving, please give him some space. » Mikoto had replied, pain in her voice.

Itachi was sitting in his room, looking at his new eyes, pondering at his abilities. Now he couldn't stop. He didn't need strength no more.

Just the right time.

*

The day before, he went on a date with Kakashi, and he let him kiss him. It was funny in a way, but Itachi didn't let it show. He just smiled shyly, eyes red with tears shed for Shisui, and he pretended in the older's arms, everything was alright.

« Will you come tomorrow ? »

« Where at ? » Itachi demanded as he was departing from their date in the forest.

« Genma, Gai and I are going to the river to relax before missions start back. »

Itachi smiled frankly.

« Sure. »

He never would.

*

That night he waited for everyone to go home, and the slaughter began. He spared no one, fearing they would come back to hate, hate, hate. He worked methodically, from one house to another, effective and silent. He didn't display much emotions at the unpending end of his aunts and uncles, cousins and blood sisters. Those he hated, he kept for the end. Even if one of them managed to escape, no one would help an Uchiha. They were doomed anyway.

When he finished, Itachi didn't feel happy or sad. He didn't feel like himself anymore. He remembered the look of distress in his ennemies eyes as they realized he'd been the threat all along.

_So we were right_

_It was Itachi_

_Itachi was against us_

_Itachi killed Shisui !_

But it was all too late to dwell on it anyway.

*

He passed by Kakashi's apartment. Knocking at the window and slipping in elegantly. Kakashi woke up and looked at him blearily, still in his dreams.

« Is this... blood ? »

Itachi looked at himself and shrugged.

« You're dreaming Hatake-san. »

« Ah ? Well... » replied Kakashi, falling back on his pillow.

« I came to say goodbye. »

Kakashi woke up at the sound of hurried knocking at his window. Genma was there and his eyes were nothing but horror. His heart jumped in his throat and he opened the window, letting the nin come in.

« That's terrible Kakashi... the Uchiha Conpound... A massacre ! »

Genma was not making any sense.

« Are we under attack ? 

That's when the sense came back in Genma. He stayed silent then looked at Kakashi. 

« No... It was a genocide. »

*

A week after the events, they found the only alive body of Sasuke hidden in a crack in the walls. Itachi was nowhere to be found. Kakashi didn't believe the words leaving the kid's mouth.

Itachi did it all. The murder of Shisui, of his parents, of the clan. All him. His hubris. His power.

A month later, Kakashi was slowly recovering from his heartache and his despair. Like was still bleak, but he was coming back from it. The village was at peace, and he believed he would be too.

He was cleaning his little flat one day when he found something under the left untouched pillow. Itachi's anbu mask, covered in blod.

He remembered this night where he'd dreamed of a bloody Itachi and feel to the ground, with nothing left but an empty heart and his eyes to cry.


End file.
